The Ohio State Buckeyes had four players taken in the first eleven picks of the NFL Draft, including Carnell Tate as the first selection and a pair of linebackers in the Top 10 for the first time in the draft era. 

Ohio State looked to tie an NFL Draft record with four players selected in the Top 10 for the first time since Michigan State in 1967. The Buckeyes had one of the most talented rosters in the country in 2025, as evidenced by four Top 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Football experts predicted linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, safety Caleb Downs, and wide receiver Carnell Tate to be the first Buckeyes off the board. The order was slightly different as Carnell Tate was the first Buckeye taken, followed by Reese and Styles, and then Downs, trailing four picks later.

Defensive lineman Kayden McDonald is potentially the fifth former Ohio State player expected to hear their name called during this weekend’s draft. More impressively, the Buckeyes had three players taken in the first eleven picks on one side of the ball, underscoring the talent and development of Matt Patricia’s unit.

Ryan Day’s Buckeyes hoped to become the second school ever to have four players selected in the Top 10 of the same class. Michigan State was the first, and only, to do so in the 1967 NFL Draft. Ohio State fell one selection shy as Caleb Downs was taken No. 11 overall by the Dallas Cowboys.

Last year’s Ohio State football team fell short of back-to-back titles after winning the National Championship in 2024. Indiana and Miami caused consecutive losses for the Scarlet and Gray, ending the season in the Big Ten Championship and the Cotton Bowl CFP quarterfinal.

Potential trade-up scenarios were in play for Styles and Caleb Downs. The intel about Downs verified as Dallas moved up from No. 12 to No. 11 in a deal made with the Miami Dolphins.

This article serves as The Silver Bulletin’s NFL Draft Tracker, which will be continuously updated below as each Ohio State player is selected.

Round 1 Pick 4: WR Carnell Tate

The Tennessee Titans selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Tate becomes the first Buckeye taken by an NFL organization after a highlight-reel season and a decorated career in Columbus. Carnell Tate becomes Ohio State’s sixth wide receiver drafted in the first round in the last five years.

His 2025 season featured a stellar 875 yards and nine touchdowns after hauling in 51 receptions as a junior. Tate was never listed as “WR1” at Ohio State with Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith ahead of him each of the last two years. However, it is widely known that Tate’s skill set is WR1 caliber, giving the Buckeyes two X-factor wideouts. Still, Tate was deserving of being WR1 in this year’s NFL Draft, as evidenced by being selected No. 4 overall.

Round 1 Pick 5: LB Arvell Reese

The New York Giants selected Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night. Reese is a feared pass rusher with an extremely athletic and versatile skill set, adding an elite player to John Harbaugh’s defense. Many experts predicted Reese as a Top 3 pick, but the Giants clearly hoped he’d fall so they could land him without trading up.

Ohio State now holds the No. 4 and No. 5 selections in the NFL Draft, with two Top 5 picks and more expected before the Top 10 is rounded out. Reese burst onto the scene for Ohio State against Texas to open the 2025 season in a heavyweight bout. During his three seasons, he compiled 112 tackles, 13.5 of which were for loss, and sacked the quarterback seven times. He was a consensus All-American and earned the Big Ten’s Linebacker of the Year Award while also receiving First-Team All Big Ten honors as a part of the most feared linebacker duo in the country with Sonny Styles.

Round 1 Pick 7: LB Sonny Styles

The Washington Commanders selected Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Ohio State becomes the first program to have a pair of linebackers in the Top 10 of the same draft in the common era. Three Buckeyes have now been picked in the first seven opportunities, amplifying the talent in Columbus.

Sonny Styles is an elite athlete but an even better human being. Beloved by all and a native son of the Columbus Metropolitan area (Pickerington), Styles embodies everything about being a Buckeye. His character surpasses his level of play on the field, a testament to who he is as an individual and to why he wore the Block O jersey in 2025.

Styles’ journey began as a safety coming from Pickerington Central High School before switching to linebacker. His frame and athleticism stood out to scouts, earning him All-American and All-Big Ten honors during his senior season in Columbus. He was Ohio State’s leading tackler (82) on a vaunted defense coached by Matt Patricia.

Moreover, the Styles family legacy runs deep in Ohio as his father, Lorenzo Styles senior was a legend for the Scarlet and Gray. Sonny’s brother, Lorenzo Styles Jr., joined him as a transfer to play together, as he hopes to be drafted later this weekend as a defensive back.

Round 1 Pick 11: S Caleb Downs

The Dallas Cowboys traded up from No. 12 to No. 11 and selected Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. This pick is an electric pick for the Cowboys organization, who now have their franchise player on defense. Downs is the most intelligent College Football player in this year’s draft, and he immediately upgrades the Dallas defense in a highly competitive NFC East division.

Downs began his college career at Alabama, where he was a star as a true freshman before transferring to Ohio State for the 2024 season when the Buckeyes won the National Championship. He was a unanimous All-American as a sophomore and junior and won the Jim Thorpe Award last year.

Ohio State held the No. 1 defense in the country in both of his seasons in Columbus thanks to his leadership. Downs was the linchpin of the defense in both seasons and is an irreplaceable component of it. The trade for Downs included Dallas sending two fifth-round picks in addition to No. 12 to Miami. Downs joins Carnell Tate, Arvell Reese, and Sonny Styles as the four Buckeyes selected so far. Defensive lineman Kayden McDonald is expected to be the next player drafted for Ohio State.